Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Brazilian council candidate 'handed out cocaine with election leaflets'

A Brazilian city council candidate has been arrested after she was caught allegedly handing out cocaine with her election leaflets, according to reports.

Carme Cristina Da Silva Lima, 32, was running for councillor of Itacoatiara, in Brazil's northern state of Amazonas. Police became suspicious when they saw a crowd allegedly gathering around Ms Lima's car on the morning of election day on Sunday.

Officers searched her car and allegedly found hundreds of packets of cocaine attached to the candidate's leaflets with instructions on how to vote for her. Police chief Daniel Ottoni said: "There was a large gathering of people around Ms Lima, but when they saw the police they all ran away.

"The candidate and another man also fled by car but officers caught up with them. According to locals, she had been distributing the drugs since early in the morning, on condition that people vote for her." Ms Lima was arrested for electoral corruption and drug dealing.